On This Day 29 January 1936 this picture appeared in the Tatler

The King (George V) lying in state by William Davis of 24 and 30 Woodbourne Avenue and studio 10 Becmed Avenue.

Members of William Davis' family still live in Woodbourne Ave
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Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

​Happy 90th Birthday Beryl Kingston , born on this day 28th January 1931

Beryl is a prolific best selling author. Beryl was born in Longley Road Tooting and lived in Strathbrook Road Streatham from 1956 to 1980.

Beryl was Secretary of Streatham CND for 10 years and the Streatham branch was one of the largest in the country

Her first book was published in 1985 and was an instant bestseller. From then on she wrote a best seller every year for the next 14 years. Some of her novels are family sagas like Hearts and Farthings and its sequel Kisses and Ha’pennies, some are modern stories like Laura’s Way and Maggie’s Boy, some are historical novels set in the 20th, 19th, or 18th century, some are war stories like A Time to Love and Avalanche of Daisies‘ which feature WW1 and WW2.

She reached the top payment level for public lending right with her 4th book and passed the million mark in sales with book number 12.

She has also written plays for the children she taught during a long teaching career, including teaching at Rosa Basset School Streatham in Welham Road on the Graveney School site, stories for various magazines and a novella about a conceited cat. Bloomsbury reader are currently reissuing her backlist on various ebook sites including Kindle.
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She was the winner of the 2014 Blake Society Tithe Grant Award.

On This Day 28th January 1932 Raman Subba Row was born in Pendennis Road, Streatham to an Indian father Panguluri Venkata Subba Rao, of Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh and English mother
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Subba Row was educated at Whitgift School and Cambridge University. He was a left-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin and googly bowler. Subba Row was a member of the powerful Cambridge side of the early 1950s and played a few games for Surrey before joining Northamptonshire. Taking over as captain in 1958, he led the side for four seasons and achieved considerable success as a batsman, scoring the county's highest ever innings, 260 not out, in 1955 and then bettering it with 300 against Surrey, the County Champions, at the Oval in 1958, when he shared a record sixth wicket stand of 376 with Albert Lightfoot.

Subba Row played in thirteen Test matches for England, opening the batting regularly from 1959 to 1961. He scored centuries in his first Test against the Australians in 1961, and in his last match against them at the Oval.

He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1961.
At the end of the 1961 season, he retired rather abruptly and prematurely from first-class cricket to go into the public relations business.

In later years, he was Chairman of Surrey (1974–78) and an influential figure at Lord's. He also served as Chairman of the TCCB, and as an ICC match referee.
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There is a conference room named after him in Whitgift School.
(Alchetron)

On This Day 27 January 1741 Gabriel Piozzi was born
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He was an Italian singer and composer born and baptised on 8 June 1740. His parents were Domenico and Giancoma. His baptismal sponsor was Signor Giacomo Guadagni. He was one of 14 children. They included brothers Giambattista and P. Luigi, and sisters Maria, Laura, Madalena Tamotti and Ippolita.
The family were known to have lived in Brescia, Quinzano and Venice. In October 1782 Hester - who was involved in a lawsuit with Lady Salusbury and straightened for money - left Streatham for her Brighton home. Johnson followed her. After a violent scene with Queeney, Hester returned to London and resolved to give up Piozzi.
In January 1783, Hester told Piozzi that they must part. Hester retired to Bath and on 8 May 1783 Piozzi left for Italy. Her daughters on seeing that Hester's health was affected consented to the recall of Piozzi.
Johnson was not in love with Hester Thrale, although he had an intelligible feeling of jealousy towards anyone who threatened to distract her allegiance. This of course came to a head shortly before her remarriage when they exchanged parting letters. The resulting estrangement saddened last months of his life.
In 1790 Hester recorded their seventh wedding anniversary party at Streatham Park. In August 1794 Hester became Godmother to Cecilia Siddons 1794-1868 - named after Cecilia Thrale - daughter of Sarah Siddons.
In 1795 they took up residence at Brynbella - a house they built in North Wales on Hester's Bach-y-Graig estate. They also renovated Bach-y-craig. Hester and Gabriel Piozzi seem to have spent most of their winters in Bath. On the occasion of their 19th wedding anniversary, Hester wrote verses of celebration.
(FindMyGrave)
Image ©National Portrait Gallery, used under the creative Commons License

BELL, STREATHAM WELLS, VALLEY ROAD, STREATHAM CENTRAL
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On This Day 27th January 1922 an article appeared by Mr. Baldwin in the Streatham News
The Bell was discovered when Hill House was demolished in 1922. It weighs nearly half a hundredweight, and was secreted under a wooden staircase on an outside wall near the Dutch garden of the house. Mr. Baldwin stated the "The bell probably came from the Old Well House when the water dried up , and was preserved as a relic"
(Lambeth Archives)